Caster.



No. 331,494. Y'PATE'NTE'D SEPT. 18, 1906. T. ALEXANDER.

GAsTER. APPLICATION FILED SEPT.21.1905.

TONY ALEXANDER, OF BROOKHAVEN, MISSISSIPPI.

CASTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 18, 1906.

Application filed September 21,1905- Serial. No. 279,516.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ToNY ALEXANDER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Brookhaven, in the county of Lincoln and State ofMississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCasters, of which the following is a specification.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and alsoto acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means foreffecting the result reference is to be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of acaster embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view.Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

This invention comprises an improved caster for furniture and includesdetails of construction the advantages of which will appear fully as thedescription proceeds and the construction which willbe finally claimed.

The caster constructed in accordance with this invention is of a typecommonly called ball-casters, and specifically describing the same thenumeral 1 designates the body of the caster, which body is formed at itsupper end with the tubular or hollow head 2, the lower end of the bodybeing provided with a flaring enlargement 3, having a ball-socket 4therein. The ball-socket 4 is adapted to receive the ball 5, which formsa roller-bearing at the lower end of the caster, and said ball isretained in the socket 4 by small lips or lugs 6, projecting downwardlyfrom the enlargement 3 and adapted to be bent so as to engage the lowerportion of the ball, holding the same from displacement from the socket4 when the caster is raised from the floor. The socket 4 is providedinteriorly thereof with a plurality of bearing-lugs 7, and these arepreferably five in number, four of the lugs 7 being arranged at thesides of the socket 4 near the lower edge of the enlargement 3, theother lug being located at the uppermost end of the socket and having abearing against the top of the ball in a manner which will be readilynoted. The lugs 7 have their bearing-faces concaved, so as to conformsomewhat with the contour of the ball 5, this affording advantageousresults for obvious reasons. The tubular or hollow head 2 of the castervirtuallyforms the shank thereof and is adapted to receive the leg orother part of the furniture to which the caster may be attached. The

leg of the furniture is indicated at 8 and is adapted to fit snugly inthe head 2. The upper end of the head 2 is formed with a bead 9, andthis bead is provided with an annular roove on its inner side, as shownat 10.

eated in the groove 10 of the bead 9 is a resilient washer 11,preferably of rubber or similar material, and the resiliency of thiswasher when compressed, when the lower end of the leg is forced into thehead 2, is such that the friction grip secured will effectively preventlikelihood of the caster falling off of the leg when the same is raisedfrom the floor or other support therefor.

The construction of the caster is such that it may be very cheaplymanufactured, and the simplicity thereof is advantageous in admitting ofquick attachment and detachment of the article from the part to which itmay be applied. The leg 8 may ofcourse be a solid wooden leg, or itmaybe the tubular metallic le of metal beds or the like.

It will of course be understood that though there are five of thebearings 7 only three of these hearings are in contact with the ball 5when the caster is being moved in any direction. This is admitted ofbecause of the space in which the ball 5 is arranged and is absolutelynecessary for proper operation of the device, for the reason that if allfive of the bearings 7 were in contact with the ball the latter wouldbind and would not roll at all.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is Incombination with the leg of a piece of furniture, a caster thereforcomprising a hollow or tubular body receiving the lower end of the legaforesaid in the hollow portion thereof, an antifriction-bearing for thecaster, the hollow or tubular portion of the caster bein formed near itsupper end and Within said hodlow portion with an annular groove, and anelastic washer seated in the groove aforesaid and having thefurniture-leg passing therethrough so as to compress the same tomaintain a constant frictional contact therewith and obviate likelihoodof displacement of the caster from the furniture part.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

TONY ALEXANDER. Witnesses:

S. S. PRENTIss, Jos. T. MEADE.

